St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-14
THERE WAS NO WIND,
And Consequently the Yacht
Race Was Declared Off.

Race Was Declared Off.
Special to the Globe
New YORK, Sept. 13.-The attempt to
sail the first of the trial races between
the yachts Volunteer and Mayf1ower
to-day, resulted in postponoment of
the contest by the judges before the
course had been half covered, owing to
the want of wind. The course was to
have been ever the regular New York
Yacht club course. There was no DELAY
preparatory signal was given-1O: 80
a. m.-fifty vessels of all varieties were
at the starting point, loaded with pas
Sengers. The morning was gloomy and
lowering. AS soon as the Electra, the
Judges boat, arrived in position the
Volunteer and MayfioWer came away
from Bay Ridge and f1oated down the
bay, for the breeze at the time was
SCARCELY PERCEPTIBLE.
Capt. Towns was at the wheel of the
Mayflower and Capt. Joe Ellsworth
was On hand as pilot. CAPT. Hank Hoff
steered the Volunteer and Gen. Paine
and Designer Burgess were also on
board. The starting signal was given at
the line together as follows: Volunteer,
10.41-2S%: MaYfiower, 1O41-37. The
wind, such as it was, was east and north
east and the tide was ebbing. The boats
went over the line with beams to star
board laying course to the south. The
VOlpnteer at once drew away from the
MsTflower, and in the first half mile had
a>lead of 500 feet. The MayflOwer then
closed the gap, and for sometime the
Volunteer would draw ahead and the
Mayfiower overhaul her, both boats jib-
ing and setting spinnakers to catch
the tickle breeze. ,ib tOpSailS were also
used, and the club tOpsails, under which
the boats started, remained aloft. In
the nine and one-half miles run to buoy
10 there was at no time a greater dis
lance than quarter of mile between
the yachts, and when they finally came
to anchor off Sandy Hook beach because
there was not wind enough to enable
them to stem the flood tide, which had
then set in and was running like mill
race up the beach, they were so close
together that a biscuit might have, been
tossed from the deck of one to the other
1t was no test of merits of either boat.
and when the judges
DECIDED THE RACE OFF l9-
and announced that the next would take
place on Thursday over a course of tvs
miles to windward and return, from the
0OeieshSa Sho oiiiP q 5CHCldI Ch pItSSIOn
of satisfaction was heard. The Thistle
came out from her mornings as the
racers were about to start, and, w TIL the
help OF puff of wind the others did not
get, she passed both half mile away
from the line. Then the Volunteer
passed her and the Mayfiower caught
up to her, but the Thistle had no bal
loon iib set nor did she use spinnaker
at any time; besides, her main
sheet was hauled so far aft that
her capabilities were not to be meas
ured and it was obviously intended that
they should not: During the first hour
OF the race the Thistle passed under the
stern of the Mayfiower, took up a posi-
ton to eastward and passed both racers.
which in turn, however, both passed
her and although the Thistle soon after
ward set a balloon on the glib TOP sail
stay, the Volunteer and Mayfiower left
her away behind. At buoy No. 10 the
racers were more than two miles away
from the Thistle, which was then sailing
straight out to sea with the Atlantic.
which accompanied her. These Yachts